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Archive for the ‘Whisk(e)y’ Category

Review: Gentleman Jack

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 29, 2018

Jack Daniel’s is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery (currently owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation). The flagship brand Jack Daniels Old No. 7 is produced in much the same manner as bourbon, from a corn heavy mash and aged in new charred white oak barrels. However, the Jack Daniel’s distillery has always resisted the use of the bourbon classification, and instead prefers to label their spirit as Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey. In the advertising and upon their website, the company highlights the fact that Jack Daniels Whiskey undergoes a filtering process (not typically used by bourbon producers) known as the The Lincoln County Process. This Process involves filtering the whiskey through a column of charcoal (or steeping the whiskey in charcoal chips) to remove unwanted flavours and contaminants prior to cask aging. The Jack Daniel’s Distillery produces its own charcoal pellets for the Lincoln County Process from sugar maple timbers. These charcoal pellets are packed into 10-foot (3.0 m) vats, where they are used to remove the impurities from the distilled Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Gentleman Jack apparently undergoes the filtration process a second time as according to the Jack Daniel’s Website the whisky is Double Mellowed for Exceptional Smoothness.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Gentleman Jack

“… Gentleman Jack displays more nuance and structure on the nose than Jack Daniel’s No. 7. The double mellowing certainly has given us  reward. There is a hint but only a hint of the Jack Daniel’s No. 7 ‘punky’ quality and also perhaps just a touch of that Jack Daniel’s fire …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with a serving suggestion, an Old Fashioned Cocktail.

Chimo!

Posted in American Whiskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Review: Gentleman Jack

Review: Gooderham and Worts Little Trinity

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 26, 2018

Corby Spirit and Wine Limited has added yet another premium brand to its Gooderham and Worts whisky line-up, Gooderham and Worts Little Trinity (Three Grain) Canadian Whisky. The whisky pays homage to the former whisky giant, Gooderham and Worts which in the latter half of the 19th century was the largest spirits producer in Canada. (The company was founded in the early to mid-nineteenth century by James Worts and his brother-in-law William Gooderham.)

Gooderham and Worts Little Trinity is named for the oldest surviving Toronto area church (Little Trinity Church) established by William Gooderham in 1842. The church was established for his mill and distillery workers who could not afford the high pew fees in the nearby  local churches. In keeping with the theme of the Holy Trinity, the whisky is produced from three grains, corn, wheat and rye (I’ll leave it to you to decide which is the Father, which is the Son, and which is the Holy Spirit).

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Gooderham and Worts Little Trinity

“… The breezes above the glass bring merry notes of rye spice and oak sap complimented by maple and toffee. Vanilla wafts into the air along with some lightly sweet corn syrup. Then I notice damp straw, some fresh leather and tobacco. There is also some almond-like nuttiness which soon melds with the vanilla and the corn-like sweetness to bring me an impression of marzipan …”

Please enjoy my review.

Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Gooderham and Worts Little Trinity

Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 23, 2018

Jack Daniel’s is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery (currently owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation). In the advertising and upon their website, the company highlights the fact that Jack Daniels Whiskey undergoes a filtering process (not typically used by bourbon producers) known as the The Lincoln County Process. This Process involves filtering the whiskey through a column of charcoal (or steeping the whiskey in charcoal chips) to remove unwanted flavours and contaminants prior to cask aging. The Jack Daniel’s Distillery produces its own charcoal pellets for the Lincoln County Process from sugar maple timbers. These charcoal pellets are packed into 10-foot (3.0 m) vats, where they are used to remove the impurities from the distilled Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey represents a blending of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and a unique honey liqueur produced by Jack Daniel’s. This liqueur is apparently made from real honey.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

“… as the name implies this spirit features a penetrating aroma of the sweet sticky honey. Light whiskey smells struggle to be noticed and there is perhaps a touch of astringency in the air …”

Please enjoy my review and the cocktail suggestions at the conclusion, Tennessee Sunshine.

Chimo!

Posted in Flavoured Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

Review: Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 12, 2018

Lot No. 40 has received a bit of a makeover recently as the spirit which was previously branded, Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Canadian Whisky received a new label, and the whisky is now known simply as Lot No. 40 Rye Whisky. Lot No. 40 is of course the Corby branded whisky which was first released in the 1990’s as an upscale connoisseur’s whisky for the North American market. Alas, timing is everything, and according to Don Livermore (Master Blender for Corby and J.P. Wiser’s branded whiskies), the whisky never really caught on as the market wasn’t quite ready for such a new style of Canadian Whisky. However, with the new upsurge of interest in Canadian Whisky across North America (and in particular at the premium end of the market), Corby (the owner of the Wiser’s Brand), relaunched the whisky in 2012.

Last year, as part of Corby’s  Northern Border Collection, a cask strength version of Lot No. 40 was released across Canada labeled simply as Lot No. 40 Cask Strength. It is a brute of a whisky bottled at 55 % alcohol by volume. According to the label on the bottle, the whisky is crafted in small batches using rye grain in a single copper pot still and aged for 12 years in oak barrels.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review:  Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

“… The flavour hits like a sledge-hammer with rough oak and cedar spice pushed by alcohol heat, dark chocolate and heavy rye bread. Add in Christmas fruitcake, and lots of peppery spice including black pepper and cloves and we are still only part way into describing the sheer volume of flavour …”

Please enjoy the review, Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

Review: Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 9, 2018

The link is fixed now. Sorry about the glitch yesterday.

I had an opportunity to taste Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains when I acted as a juror for the 2018 Canadian Whisky Awards. While judging, I wrote up tasting notes for each dram as I scored them (in a blind tasting format). I also saved a wee bit of each sample such that I could revisit them after the judging when it was revealed to me which sample belonged to which whisky. From those tasting notes and from my last sampling session afterwards I wrote this review.

Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains is produced from locally grown BC grains (malted barley and eirloom wheat grains. The eirloom wheat includes varietal of einkorn which is a wild wheat, kamut (khorasan wheat), spelt (dinkel wheat), and emmer (farro/hulled wheat). The spirit was aged in new American oak quarter casks and bottled at 45 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a Link to my review:

Review: Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains Whisky

“… Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains Whisky is a heated dram full of herbal flavours which lie alongside grain and wood spices. When I tasted the spirit in the blind format, I believed there was rye grain in the blend. This is not surprising as wheat, when distilled often brings very similar flavours forward …”

Please enjoy the review.

Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Devine Spirits Quarter Cask Ancient Grains Whisky